Contents

Collection Summary

Scope and Content Note

Arrangement of the Papers

Selected Search Terms

Correspondence and other papers

Financial scrapbook, 1723-1744

Letterbooks

Amory Family Papers

A Finding Aid to the Collection in the Library of Congress

Prepared by Patrick Kerwin

2009

Scope and Content Note

The papers of the Amory Family span the years 1697-1882 and consist of correspondence, letterbooks, wills, a petition, financial material, printed matter, and miscellaneous items. The papers are primarily those of Thomas Amory (1682-1728), and his grandson, Thomas Amory (1762-1823), of Boston.

Thomas Amory the elder was born in the West of England but was brought up in Limerick, Ireland. He lived variously in the Azores, Charleston, South Carolina, and finally in Boston. Amory’s letterbooks, 1711-1728, chronicle his career as a transatlantic trader. His correspondence, nearly half of which is in Portugese, also relates to the early history of trade in the Americas and to the status of the Amory estate. It includes correspondence between various members of the family of his wife, Rebekah Holmes Amory, as well as from various Amory family members, including James and Ann Ramsey and Alan Mullin. Also included is a scrapbook of financial material which was kept by Rebekah Holmes Amory after her husband’s death.

The papers of Thomas Amory (1762-1823) consist primarily of commercial correspondence, 1802-1804, and of a business letterbook, 1798-1799, relating chiefly to Amory commercial activities, importing, shipbuilding, and distilleries.

Also included in the papers is correspondence of the firm of Jonathan & John Amory, letters and drafts of the firm of Amory's & Taylor of Boston, Massachusetts, and several letters from Rufus Greene Amory. Other correspondents include Jonathan Belcher, Samuel Eliot, Nicholas Oursel, and Samuel Penhallow.

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Selected Search Terms

People

• Amory, John, 1728-1803. John Amory petition. circa 1783.
• Amory, Rebekah Holmes, 1700-1770--Correspondence.
• Amory, Rufus Greene, 1760-1833--Correspondence.
• Amory, Thomas, 1682-1728. Thomas Amory papers.
• Amory, Thomas, 1762-1823. Thomas Amory papers.
• Belcher, Jonathan, 1682-1757--Correspondence.
• Eliot, Samuel, active 1770--Correspondence.
• Emery family.
• Holmes family.
• Mullin, Alan--Correspondence.
• Oursel, Nicholas--Correspondence.
• Penhallow, Samuel, 1665-1726--Correspondence.
• Ramsey, Ann--Correspondence.
• Ramsey, James, active 1720--Correspondence.

Organizations

• Amory's & Taylor--Correspondence.
• Jonathan & John Amory (Firm)--Correspondence.

Subjects

• Commerce--History--18th century.
• Commerce--History--19th century.
• Distilling industries.
• Imports.
• International trade.
• Merchants--Ireland.
• Merchants--Massachusetts--Boston.
• Merchants--South Carolina.
• Shipbuilding.

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Arrangement of the Papers

This collection is arranged alphabetically by type of material and therein chronologically.

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Container List

Correspondence and other papers

1697-1802 (8 folders)

1803 (4 folders)

1804

Jan.-Apr. (4 folders)

May-Dec. (4 folders)

1808, 1882, undated

Financial scrapbook, 1723-1744

Letterbooks

1711-1714

1717-1725 (3 folders)

1726-1728, 1798-1799 (2 folders)